Plan C: Corey Maggette?

You certainly have to give the Warriors credit for trying. They are indeed hustling to make moves.
My story in Friday’s paper is about the Warriors looking to sign Maggette, the Clippers’ bruising swingman. Of course, this is provided Brand doesn’t check box “yes” — and it is looking more and more likely he’s heading back to L.A.
Maggette gave up $7 million by opting out. The Warriors can definitely sign him to a deal starting with that, which would be about a million more than the midlevel exception, which is all other teams can offer him (though I hear he’s looking for like $10).
The Warriors have liked Maggette for a while, probably because he dogs the Warriors every time they play. I’ve been a big Maggette fan for a while. When he’s not in love with jumpers, he can be unstoppable. Without Baron, the Warriors need players who can create offense. Maggette can do that.
Maggette alongside Ellis and Stephen Jackson ain’t half bad. But, that’s looking too far ahead. All they’ve done is express interest, with talks likely to follow if Brand turns down the Warriors deal.

*I was told the Warriors are interested in one of the better unheralded point guards (IMHO) – Keyon Dooling. I like him because he can play both positions, he deends and he’s experienced.

* Don’t get your hopes up on Josh Smith. I was told he’s Atlanta’s Monta – they aren’t letting him go. Philadelphia and Detroit are reportedly hot after him. I hope the Warriors are in that max (I’m a big Josh Smith fan). But it looks like it won’t matter. They’re planning to match – though I’m sure an offer sheet for the max would make the Hawks at least think twice.

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Marcus Thompson

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keyon dooling isn’t bad as a temporary fix. there are good franchise type PGs to be had next year in the draft, assuming the w’s stink it up. but i still like to see w’s go after shuan livingston. he’s worth the gamble. he’ll probably lose some of his quickness and explosiveness, but he’s 6’7″, a legit pg, and he’s still young.

commish

Its not that I don’t like Cory or even your thinking, but folks are just throwing out names of solid to good players. So my question is what is our greatest needs and a plan to meet those needs. I don’t think our offense will go without a PG who can distribute and help our offensive players do their thing. Baron was great because he was a hybrid of a scorer and distributor who could also steal and defend. I’m thinking more along the lines of finding a team who like Harrington and getting our PG for him. Of course if we get Brand we could use Wright or Randolph as the trade bait. Memphis is loaded with young PG’s; Chi has Henrich; those are two teams who come to mind so do we have the right stuff to make a trade and not have to use our new found money (assuming no Brand).

There is no question that most good teams have at least one star quality player and the best teams have more than one. And they have at least one if not more team leader(s). Baron was all of that. Will Jax step up to play that role? Can we use our money to find that player? Detroit wants to make some moves so can we get Billups or even Hamilton? Or even Sheed for a year?

I’m not saying Cory isn’t a good player but he’s been known to be tempermental and difficult. Maybe he’d like Nellie and visa versa and it would all be roses. But I don’t think he’d be my top choice from the guys available. However, I do think we need to act quickly with whatever we are planning on doing because the available players are starting to get picked off. What brings me to my last point: how much of what we will be able to do is dependent on what the players in the league think of our franchise. Clearly we are better now than in our torched history, but are we a place where good players want to play? I don’t think so because of Mullin and Cohan but I don’t know that for sure. I’d like Marcus and or Geoff to address that issue from their knowledgeable perspectives: even though we have plenty of money, are the Warriors and attractive franchise now and in 2009 for the more elite FA players who will make us better?

CalifOrange

The Celtics PG last year was Rajon Rando. The Lakers had Jordan Farmar. I’m not sure the Warriors need to replace Baron with an All Star PG.

Clearly they need rebounding and a PG that won’t make too many mistakes. They’ll score points regardless, they lost games by getting beat on the boards and getting a little too dependent on 3 pointers.

The dubs will probably need more than CJ Watson is ready to give but I’m not convinced the big money wouldn’t be better spent on an inside force.

Niners in 2009

Go after IGUODALA instead, PLEASE! he’s perfect compliment to Monta.

chris

100% agree about Igoudala. Look at all the assists he gets and the W’s could play him along with Monta and SJax. He fits better into W’s plans than Josh Smith. They can al least make an ffer that will make Philly gulp hard when deciding to match or not.

Trading Harrington for Hinrich makes too much sense as well.

jeff

Marcus and Geoff,

You guys have been pretty quiet considering all the scrambling at Warrior headquarters. I know Mullin/Nelson haven’t been talking, but it would be nice for you to speculate or make bold predictions based on your imagination — just Kawakami at the Merc. I’d like that.

Mr B

Andre Igoudala, Elton Brand and trade Harrington for Billups – now we’re talking. A much better team from last year.

Heck we’ve been saving salary cap for years with tier 2,3 and 4 players. now its time to walk the talk with some quality players.

Marin

Harrington for Kirk Hinrich, sign a bruiser and the team will be okay.

joe of south city

A starting lineup of Ellis, Maggette, Jackson, Wright and Briedens ain’t so bad. Losing Davis is a blessing in the sense that it forces Nelson to play his young athletic players. Hey man, if you can’t get that dominant player, then fill your roster with athletes.

kokopelli365

Okafor would seem to be a beter fit for the W’s & they could probably pry him away whereas Josh Smith & Iggy seem ‘unavailable’ due to their team’s plans to match.

robd

the w’s should trade Belinelli for Memphis’ Crittenton, who as a 6’4” pure point would complement Ellis nicely. he needs seasoning, but so does everyone else on the roster. they should also do a sign and trade sending Jackson to Cleveland for Varejao, getting us some frontcourt depth and bulk and putting jackson in an appropriate situation as sidekick to an all-star (i think he would be a diaster if he thought he was the best player on the W’s). with Ellis, Biedrens, Pietrus or Barnes, Azabuike(sp), the rest of the youngsters and serious cap room, we would then be positioned to make a surgical strike on the right all-star to put us back in the hunt. if we don’t get Brand, we should be patient…

Sign and trade Bedriens or Harrington for an Andre Miller, Billups type PG would be great.

3 young long athletic guys on the frontline Okafer, Igoudala or Smith plus Wright.

No slow, no defense white guys like Hienrich, those are half court types. We need quick, fluid physical types. Shaun Livingston would be a great up-grade behind one of the aforementioned PG’s

Derek

The dubs have the money to slightly overbid for guys like okafer, igoudala, childress, deng and/or smith, especially if they do a sign and trade for harrington (he’s to streaky).

Bellinelli for Critter would also be wise

Robo

The W’s should ship Harrington back home; with Perovic, to New Jersey for Devin Harris and Stromile Swift. Then they should swap Swift for Raja Bell in Phoenix.

With Harris and Ellis, the W’s would have the fastest backcourt in the league. Harris is already familiar with Nellie, and Monta can back him up; splitting time with Watson.

For the W’s, they realistically had little chance of a championship with Baron; the rest of the conference is just too good. Without Baron, they’ve got no chance, so they need to stay the course and really develop their younger players. Two years down the road or so, they may be able to package some of these young guys for an All-Star. Or, the W’s may already have that future All-Star(s) in Azubuike, Belinelli, Wright, Randolph, and Hendrix.

I’d really just like to see the W’s keep their up tempo style of play; continuing the W’s reign as the most entertaining team in the league since the Suns and the Kings. And without Baron, the W’s really need Harris to do this.

Forget most of this year’s free agents; there isn’t a guard left who can replace Baron and the best of this year’s crop is now too expensive. The W’s should make signing their own players their biggest priority and when that’s done, the only free agent that I would like to see in a Warriors jersey is Leon Powe.

This team would now be faster and younger than in 2007. They would be better from the free throw line; Harris and Bell are both over 80%, and they both can shoot the 3. The team would also have added another shut down defender in Bell; in addition to Pietrus and Jackson. Their guards and small forwards would now be able to take more chances, with the cadre of shot blockers waiting in their frontcourt, so they’d be much, much better defensively.

Atl4life

You guys are overrating Al Harringtons value. He isn’t good enough to get a Hinrich or Devin Harris straight up. You would have to involve another player or draft pick to make that happen.

As for Smoove(Josh Smith) as a hawks fan i’m hoping you guys don’t go after him. You may be the only team who could make the Hawks think twice about matching. GS has alot of money right now and will overpay anyone they want to get. That is not a good thing to do long term for that franchise. Smoove is a stat stuffer but he isn’t worth 12+ million per yet.

Our first and foremost need is a point guard. I say try S.Livingston or go after K.Lowery or Crittenton from the Grizzlies who isn’t a true point guard but I think can grow into the position. Maggette would be good but take care of the players on the fence right now M.E. and A.B. then see what you got and make some tough decisions but I still say you have to play the guys you got to get that game experience. I might even bring back Pietrus and or Barnes who can run Nelson’s offense some as well.

CalifOrange

How about sending Al Harrington to the Knicks for Jamaal Crawford and David Lee. Sign Biedrins, Ellis and Azabuike. They’ll still be under the cap so they can go after Dooling.

Starting 5 of:

1) Dooling
2) Ellis
3) Jackson
4) Lee
5) Biedrins

With; Crawford, Azabuike, and Wright in the primary rotation and spare minutes divided up between Watson, Randolph, Belinelli, Hendrix and Petrovic.

They might not go deep into the playoffs but they’d be viable and could still develop all those youngsters.